Remembrance

After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people. Mark 14:1-2

Two days after His talk in Olivet, the murder by trickery of Jesus has become the solution for the religious leaders of Israel. Asking the religious leaders about this a couple of years later a scribe would likely hear a different take on this, such as, "We carried out a successful operation for the removal of a false prophet without upsetting the people." Today we will find similar opposing views on what happened this day 25 years ago in New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. In remembrance of those who boarded flights and went to their work. or reported for duty as first responders, and did not return to loved ones that evening, we recall that the One those religious leaders wanted to 'get rid of' is the one answer to the evil in this world today.

Trust in Jesus,

Bucky

Patient Urgency

Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Mark 13:33-34

To each his work, Jesus has gone for a time and left to each of us his or her work. But didn't He just tell in the preceding verses about these big events and those persecutions? In our verses for today, Jesus tells of an 'until then' time. We live in that watching time when some are persecuted, some are affected by a war, and others by earthquakes. Most of us reading this will not be facing any of that today. But then there is the doorkeeper whose job of watching is by nature passive, dull, and stuck in the same place. It is not what many young persons just graduated from school want to do. Even some older folks want to be on the move, going forward, working toward, and staying active. The doorkeeper may not get to do all of that. It is on his or her watch though that the other servants are able to go about their duties. Any day the master may return, and so with patient urgency the doorkeeper maintains the watch. It is not the most exciting or glamorous job, but it is important. 

And just think how much prayer that watcher can do while waiting there on watch!

Bucky

After That Tribulation

But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.  Mark 13:24-27

After those verses today, there isn't much left to say. Of course we all then want to know the when - day, date, even a month and year. But in verse 32, Jesus lets us know that none of us knows. Occasionally a cult will step up and name a date, and we all immediately know the foolishness of that. It is always amusing to see a representative show up the next morning and try to explain why the cult is still here with the rest of us. But, the rest of us, no matter how far away we may be on the earth or in heaven, will not miss this gathering. Our Lord's angels will be thorough in their gathering, the Son of Man oversees them from the clouds with great power and glory! 

So, we anticipate with great yearning a date we cannot know? Yes, have faith and wait on the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Out In The Desert

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  Mark 13:21-23

The recently completed Burning Man 2026 shows us that large gatherings in the desert are not unknown. The gathering runs about 72,000 persons in a place without food or water, well, most of the time it is without water. The past few years have provided evidence of the dry lake bed occasionally attempting a return to lake status. Of course the warning of our Lord in this prophecy today is not against gathering together in the desert, but what will happen when a claimant to His title takes a gathering and sends them forth to spread the word. Actually, in our day the pretender wouldn't have to send anyone; social media would take care of the spreading of the news. All the false messiah would need is a decent cellular data connection out there in the desert. So be warned, the time may be near for a viral message we must refuse to believe. 

Praise unto the Lord our God on this Labor Day,

Bucky

Even Us Weirdos Glorify Him

For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Mark 13:19-20

Sometimes those end times prophecies can be real downers, but they are also so open to imagining. What I want to see are those sixteen-hour days when the days are shortened, as Jesus said. You think a three-day weekend seems short now, just you wait! This is one where we start to wonder about the translation of those old Greek words from the New Testament. Shorten the days? Is that what it really means? Our pastor always said it meant less of the days, as in the tribulation wouldn't go on until everyone was dead. But if you look at the words from the NKJV literally, yeah, it means less than a 24-hour day. How weird! Perhaps it's only me, weirdest of the weird, ya know.

Have a God-glorifying weekend this Labor Day as you rejoice in Him!

Bucky

The Older Face

Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  Mark 13:15-18

Now here in our passage today comes a horrifying list. And it doesn't even tell what the old folks are not to do. I suppose with a cataclysm such as would cause these things the old folks are just done for. Can you imagine a disaster coming so swiftly that a person up one set of stairs on the roof must not go inside for anything? How many of us have some sort of 'go' bag ready? Right, me neither, but I move so slowly these days that I figure it won't matter. I might as well stand and face the danger trusting in Jesus my Lord. Now the grammar/speller checker wants to add an 'of' in between those two words, danger and trusting. So, maybe the most horrifying thing today isn't the list at all.

Face the danger, trust in Jesus always,

Bucky

First, A Temple

So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Mark 13:14

Scary times are foretold, especially for the people of Judea. But, Judea was a Roman province and they are long gone. This calls for further research as Jesus referenced Daniel the prophet by name and title. In Daniel 11, the prophet is told of a time when the daily sacrifices would be taken away and the abomination of desolation placed in the sanctuary fortress. I condensed the prophecy a bit, and therein comes the opportunity for debate. What Jesus said is tough for us to understand, and the Lord references a prophecy from hundreds of years further back that is even tougher for us to understand...understand? Me neither! However, there is an order that may be easier for us to understand. First, a temple. And there wasn't one there the last time I checked. Then the sacrifices can be taken away, and finally that abomination where it ought not to be. It might even help if Rome rose again and called Israel, Judea, once again.

So, now that we are all baffled, befuddled, and confused, have a joyous day in Christ our Lord! (He ain't confused!)

Bucky

Hated By All?

Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Mark 13:12-13

We have read in history texts of times such as these in our verses today, and we have read of nations even now where this happens. Dictators just love family squealers, especially if the family head is a political opponent. But what Jesus foretells here is not just politics but the case of being hated by all for His name's sake. It seems ironic that the man who commanded us to love one another would foretell a universal hatred for those who do so. Irony does not make it untrue though, and a time will come when to love the name of Jesus is to incite hatred from apparently everyone. But, we are not there yet.

For now, we can still love Jesus and not be hated by all. Let us use the time well.

Bucky

Premeditated Victory

But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Mark 13:11

Standing in court, I delivered the final words that stunned the adversary's attorneys with my wit and resource for the hundredth time. Of course this was premeditated in my imagination, probably from growing up with courtroom dramas on the television. It is easy to score the premeditated victory in my imagination, only a little harder to do it when the script gives the character the lines. Court in real life is not so easy, as many litigators can attest. Prepared with a lengthy and difficult education, years of experience, a law firm behind them, and much time spent in study, the attorney may still be surprised by the outcome. And here in our verse today, Jesus tells His disciples to not worry, and even more, don't premeditate the words they will speak in court. This approach to a case would make an attorney turn a pale sort of color, I suspect. 

Faith presents such strangeness to the world,

Bucky

Before You Know It

And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  Mark 13:10

This one sign to watch for could be a tough one. Missionaries have gone out to many far places, have they reached all of them? Broadcast television and radio have reached around the globe, but does it count if the language cannot be understood by every tribe and person? Translations of the story are a big focus now. I heard Dallas Jenkins set a goal of 600 languages for his show, The Chosen, to be translated into. Will that be enough for all the nations though? Shows such as that are available on the internet as far as the internet can reach, but all the nations yet? This sign looks like a sneaky one, it won't be completed for many years, but how many of those years are already past? It is one of those where our parents used to tell us, "It will be here before you know it!" Indeed, counting on this one as giving us time to goof off in our service before our Lord's return would be quite risky, I think. 

Rejoice in Christ Jesus, and spread a little good news to all the nations,

Bucky

Wars And Rumors Of Wars

But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. Mark 13:7-8

The scripture passage for today starts off so well, except that we think that wars and such are very much a cause for being troubled. Nations and kingdoms going at it, earthquakes all over the place, famines and troubles, and He says do not be troubled? If you were born from 1900 to 2026, and I suspect that includes all of us, then you have lived your entire life with these things going on. The big thing that has changed over those years is that our means of learning about these events has become faster and more universal. Those of us who believe and apply the words of our Lord Jesus are going to look pretty odd not being troubled by these things. Yes, being called apart from the world will do that.

Trust in and look to Jesus, and do not be troubled, as He said,

Bucky

Take Heed

And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.  Mark 13:5

The response from Jesus known as the Olivet Discourse begins the same way in all three recordings in Mark, Matthew, and Luke. Take heed, meaning to pay attention, watch out for, be aware of, or use caution when the time comes, tells us that deception will be a big effort by someone. In the next verses of the revelation from Jesus we learn that the deception includes even the Christ Himself as deceivers will say, "I am he". And you or I can point out several cult preachers in our lifetime who claimed to be Jesus or the Christ. This warning from our Lord gave us the awareness to not fall for it. But we must continue to take heed as more of them will come. And, each will get better at it until the big one comes, the Antichrist. We, my friends in Christ, may live to see this time arrive. 

Take heed, and keep your eyes on Jesus our Savior!

Bucky

Careful Asking For That

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”  Mark 13:3-4

Jesus had just foretold the utter destruction of the temple, and as curious humans, the disciples come to him and ask after the future. Oh that future! How we want to know what tomorrow will bring. And the end of time, the fulfillment, we may ask small, but we want the big answer about how this world will end. Why do we ask that? The evidence of our lives may tell us that more lives will follow from now until forever. But we seem to have a sense in our heart that out there somewhere is a final end of the world as we know it. John was among those asking, so a few decades later Jesus gave to him the revelation of just how things will go down. And a shocking revelation it is! But that's in the scriptural future. We'll take a look at what Jesus has to say right then as we continue (God willing!) next week. 

Love and joy to you this weekend in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Stunning Prophecy

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Mark 13:1-2

It wasn't Solomon's Temple, but King Herod had expanded and built up the temple to something pretty grand. One of the disciples thought it pretty cool as well, and he pointed it out to the Teacher. Jesus had His way of looking at things though, and His prophecy could leave a disciple or two stunned. Where disciples like us might see permanence, strength, and stability, Jesus looks up and says, "Nope". We get to read a moment in time where our Lord teaches us to look to Him. Buildings just won't do it for us if we wait on the Lord Jesus.

Find your way in the Way, the Truth, and the Life,

Bucky

Mathematically Nuts

So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12:43-44

From my experience, I can testify that it is easier to give a bunch of money when a person has plenty of money to give from. From our Lord's word, I can testify that there is a different measure, one that appears to make no mathematical sense at all. The notes tell us that the Greek lepta was a small coin worth a fraction of a penny. The widow had donated two of those. We can imagine the church treasurer trying to pay a bill with two slices of a penny in hand. However, we know of a certain man who had another mathematically nuts proposition put before him: how to feed thousands of people with five loaves and two fishes. And God measured that small amount of food differently too!

I pray that you have a great day in Christ our Lord,

Bucky

Love The Neighbor, Pity The Scribes

Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

Uh oh, one scribe was close to the kingdom of heaven, but the others were far, far away. We can see various places or situations mentioned here where we face the same temptations. It is nice to get a good seat at an event. If one of us regularly prays in front of others it can become a performance instead of a prayer. The best seat at the feast gets to enjoy hot food, the seat way down yonder not so much. The long robe thing may have passed into history, but each of us has at least some desire to look good when we go out. Of course, underneath the surface temptations may lurk the desire to look down on our fellow humans, to show ourselves superior in some way. Jesus said to love our neighbor as ourselves. Those scribes don't sound very loving, and we can fall into the same trap.

Love to you, dear neighbor!

Bucky

Stretching Faith

Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:

‘The LORD said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?”
--  Mark 12:35-37

For the past few messages, we have read how Jesus answered the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees questions until none dared to ask him any more. Today, Jesus asks these groups of religious scholars and leaders a question of his own. To answer this question could save them, for it requires faith in David's Lord who sits before them. The Christ, Messiah in Hebrew, asks them to set aside what they think they know and read what the man after God's own heart said of Him. We know from the scriptures that most of them could not bring themselves to do it. We would not be able to do it without the Spirit of God in us. Faith requires us, or those long-ago religious leaders, to believe that Jesus was, and is, and always shall be. That's a stretch even with the word of God in hand for us to read. We can read how the disciple John understood it in the first verses of his gospel. (John 1:1-18)

Testify of the risen Lord Jesus, who was, and is, and always shall be,

Bucky

You Are Not Far

Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
But after that no one dared question Him.  Mark 12:34

A unique scribe answered Jesus wisely. We almost forget that even among the Pharisees there were a couple of them who believed, and this one scribe. Sadly, there do not seem to be any scriptural reports of Sadducees having faith or wisdom. What was that distance separating this one scribe from the kingdom of God? Believing that Jesus was Messiah. Not only was Messiah not far as in right there in front of the scribe, but the scribe was also close spiritually. However, if we recall John 3:16, there needs to be faith in Jesus for salvation. Agreement with Jesus is good, but believing in Him as Lord and Savior is much better. 

Have faith in Jesus!

Bucky

But What Is Love?

Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

Jesus gave these two as the greatest of commandments in response to the scribe's question we read yesterday. But one problem presents itself right off, what is this love he speaks of? One definition from the notes states, [of persons] to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly.

"That last one really helps," he said sarcastically, "to love is to love dearly?"

Jesus gave us a definition that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for his friends. Paul took up love in an entire chapter of his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13) 'Love is...' appeared on many drink glasses back in the day, but have we tamped down, shaken out, and sorted a definition of the word yet? Love, it seems, is a big word for having only four letters. We know it, but have trouble defining it in a simple way. Love is essential to the two greatest commandments and the new commandment Jesus gave, which was that we love one another. So, you and I will not go wrong by taking up a study of love in prayer and the word of God.

I love you like a pepperoni pizza! No, no, that's not quite the right definition, I think.

Bucky

Listen First

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”  Mark 12:28

As I am at least a little bit on the socially-backward scale, that question burning in my heart would likely wait like this scribe waited. The Pharisees and Sadducees had likely made this scribe acutely aware of his standing as compared to their own in the Jerusalem pecking order. Or maybe he was just polite. Whatever the reason, this scribe listened first. So how do we listen first in our age? There is the Bible, the word of God, where we can 'listen' first by reading, study, and meditation. It is not always easy to think deeply on the word of God, it can poke at the conscience with some force. However, if treasure hunting is your thing, you will find it prospecting in the Word!

Great is the Word of God!

Bucky